Equine laminitis is a vascular disease associated with areas of ischemia or hemostasis within the laminae. The laminae secure the coffin bone/distal phalanx to the outer keratinous hoof wall of a horse. Inflammation associated with delamination interferes with the wall/bone bond. In advanced laminitis, the coffin bone becomes detached from the horny keratinous hoof wall and may rotate or sink. In lay terms, this is known as “founder,” from the maritime term meaning to sink Ungulates other than horses, including cattle, may suffer from laminitis. However, as treatment is more often undertaken with respect to horses, the discussion herein shall relate to horses but it will be understood that it is applicable to other ungulates as well.
Known treatments of laminitis includes the provision of boots that enclose the hoof structure and are sized and shaped to support the hoof structure in a position that reduces pain and promotes healing. These boots often include pads of gel or other resilient substances designed to contribute to the support of the hoof structure and to cushion the hoof structure. Such boots are partially successful and beneficial.
Nevertheless, horses suffering from laminitis exhibit signs of extreme discomfort and pain. One indicator of such discomfort and pain is the reluctance of a horse to turn when standing in its stall or when walking. Horses with foreleg laminitis have been observed rocking back to place the majority of their weight on their rear legs and pivoting on their rear legs in order to achieve a change of direction. One explanation for this is believed to be that when a horse is standing, the outer horny hoof wall of the afflicted hoof is planted and stationary with respect to the ground, and when the horse turns, the remaining hoof and foreleg structure rotates with respect to the planted horny hoof wall, thereby stressing and further aggravating the laminae of the hoof structure. If this stress on the laminae could be avoided or reduced, the horse would experience less pain and the laminae would heal more quickly.
Also, it may be that in some cases of laminitis, inflammation is aggravated by pressure on inflamed area surrounded by horny hoof wall, which may descend into contact with the ground. In such cases, relieving such pressure may prove beneficial.
Accordingly, improvement in treating and promoting the healing of laminitis in ungulates, and especially horses, would be a highly desirable advancement in the art.